Which cheese smells the worst in the world? A machine slices, and it’s from us!

Have you ever wondered which cheese has the strongest smell? If some will immediately point to Maroilles or Camembert, this is not the case! Journalist and popularizer Jamy Gourmaud reveals the name of the big winner in an informative and dynamic Instagram video of which only he has the secret.

It’s a fact, France has an impressive variety of cheeses. To be more precise, the National Interprofessional Center for Dairy Economy (CNIEL) lists, to date, more than 1,200. Among them, the famous Bleus, Bries, Brique de goat, Picodon or even the inimitable Burgundy delight.

If it is rather easy to know the top 3 favorite cheeses of the French, namely Camembert, Emmental and Comté, defining which one smells the worst is another pair of sleeves. Roquefort, Munster, Maroilles, Camembert… There are so many contenders for the title. As the choice was undoubtedly too complicated, a machine made the decision! Result: it is Vieux de Boulogne, a cheese from the North of France which is crowned the smelliest cheese.

The smell of cheese comes from the fermentation and biochemical processes that occur during its manufacture and maturation. These characteristic odors mainly result from interactions between bacteria, yeasts, and molds which act on milk proteins and fats. This is why cheeses with little or no ripening often have a milder smell. This is particularly the case for mozzarella, feta or even ricotta. If certain cheeses have strong scents which can be unpleasant for the most delicate noses, we must not forget that it is precisely this very special characteristic which gives them such a unique character.